First Features: The Best Directorial Debuts
By Kristy PuchkoTo make the cut, these cinematic debuts had to make a splash upon their premieres, hold up as the years roll by, and give strong insight into the aesthetic styles of their burgeoning auteurs. These are undeniably outstanding first films.
| CRITICAL LIST | |
|---|---|
 Citizen KaneOrson Welles |
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 The Maltese FalconJohn Huston |
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 The 400 BlowsFrançois Truffaut |
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 BreathlessJean-Luc GodardNouvelle Vague master's most stylish film. >> |
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 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Mike Nichols |
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 BadlandsTerrence Malick |
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 EraserheadDavid Lynch |
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 The Evil DeadSam Raimi |
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 This Is Spinal TapRob Reiner |
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 Blood SimpleJoel CoenAn intricate, clever rookie effort from one of America's finest filmmaking teams. >> |
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 Sex, Lies, and VideotapeSteven Soderbergh |
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 DelicatessenJean-Pierre JeunetJeunet and Caro’s gleefully bizarre concoction is an unforgettable treat. >> |
|
 Reservoir DogsQuentin Tarantino |
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 PiDarren Aronofsky |
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 Being John MalkovichSpike Jonze |
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